Apparatus for delivery of multiple media data streams, and method therefor
United States Patent 06963590

An apparatus and method for integrating the delivery of data from a multiplicity of sources to a set of user electronic devices that present audio, video and digital information to the user is implemented. These devices may include conventional television displays, personal computers, and other conventional audio and video equipment. Information may be received from a multiplicity of sources which may include may include digital television via terrestrial or satellite broadcast, terrestrial analog radio, and digital data exchanged via a public network, such as the Internet. The mechanism of the present invention receives the multiplicity of data streams, processes them in accordance with each stream's formatting protocols (whether an analog stream, an MPEG Transport Stream, or TCP/IP stream, for example), including any conditional access protocols, and streams the processed data, in multiplexed transport stream to the user's presentation devices via a “fat” pipe, such as a FireWire™ bus. A thin client interface decodes the streamed data addressed to its corresponding presentation device.